Hookahs (also known as water pipes, narghile, bongs, hubble-bubble, and shishas), are instruments used to vaporize and smoke various substances, including tobacco, flavored tobacco, shisha, or mu'assel. In traditional hookahs the substance is vaporized in a bowl located at the top of the instrument. The vapor then travels through a stem into a water reservoir and is inhaled by a user with a hose connected to the water reservoir. When the user inhales the vapor, pressure changes in the water reservoir forces more vapor from the bowl through the stem into the water reservoir continuing the process.
Regular operation of hookahs requires placing burning charcoals close to the bowl, normally on top of it, to transfer heat required to vaporize the substance that is inhaled. However, the use of burning charcoals as heat source in hookahs has several drawbacks. For example, water does not filter many toxic chemicals that are released during charcoal burning exposing smokers to dangerous chemicals. These substances may increase the risk of diseases and may reduce lung function. Burning charcoal releases high levels of carbon monoxide (CO), metals, and various carcinogenic substances that are not filtered by water in the reservoir. In addition, charcoal burning increases the amount of CO and carbon dioxide (CO2) in the environment. Large levels of carbon increase the probability of carboxyhemoglibin formation in the blood, reduction of oxygen carry capacity, and CO poisoning. Furthermore, coal burning exposes nonsmokers to second hand smoke, has an unpleasant smell, and represent fire hazards.
The disclosed heating apparatus and methods are directed to mitigating or overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems in the prior art.